


Of Lads and Ladies

by BobSaysHelloFromNL



Series: Merlin Pokémon AU [4]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pokemon Fusion, Banter, Battling, Friendship, Gwen Ships It, Just our favourite characters having a nice day, Multi, Pokemon Contests, Slow Burn, That's it, cuteness, that's the story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:21:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27107893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BobSaysHelloFromNL/pseuds/BobSaysHelloFromNL
Summary: Our heroes spend a multi-cultured day in London with some surprise company
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: Merlin Pokémon AU [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1913911
Comments: 5
Kudos: 15





	Of Lads and Ladies

**Author's Note:**

> Just so you know, Merlin made the R-connection at the same time as I did. It'll make sense once you get there. I don't have much to say this time, no art to promote yet, so I'll just let you get on with the chapter. Enjoy!

Merlin and Gwen were enjoying their third morning in London, eating a nice simple picnic consisting of sandwiches and fruit. Their pokémon were also enjoying the fresh air, playing around with some other pokémon in the park. They'd spend their previous two days resting up from their travels and doing some sightseeing.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the time has come! This afternoon, we will be hosting the annual Windsor Contest! Pokémon Coordinators from all over Camelot will be joining us tonight, to try and win that one ribbon! Show your support! Buy the highest quality merchandise of your favourite coordinator! We've got Lady Morgana t-shirts, wall-posters, buttons and more!"

Merlin looked on as people started hoarding around the stand. "I didn't know that many people were into Pokémon Contests."

Gwen blinked at him. "You didn't? The Windsor contest is probably the most famous contests in Camelot, have you not heard of it before?"

Merlin scratched his head, then tried smoothing it over where Aithusa had messed it up before. "I think Will might have mentioned it once or twice? Honestly, I usually tune him out when he starts talking about pokémon contests and how- er, Lady Morgana."

His friend was a little obsessed, but Gwen didn't necessarily need to know about that.

She giggled. "Well, I have to admit that I also started paying more attention to the whole scene once she began. She's marvellous at what she does."

Merlin's eyes widened in anticipation of what was to come. And sure enough, Gwen began:

"Did you know she has a _shiny_ Umbreon? It is probably my favourite colouring- although of course her other pokémon are amazing too! And the way they work together; she has some of the best move combinations I've ever seen. Like last year at the same contest, when her Froslass created frost in the air for her Xatu to hit with extreme accuracy. It really says a lot about her skill that she knows the strengths of her pokémon so well that she can use them to bring out the beauty in their moves. Oh!" Gwen made a startled noise, hand reaching up to cover her mouth. "I'm sorry! You're not interested in this at all, are you?"

Merlin smiled sheepishly around a bite of his sandwich. He swallowed before replying. "I guess not as much as you seem to be. Are you sure you don't secretly want to be a pokémon coordinator as well?"

"Oh, god no!" She said, sounding appalled. "I couldn't. It's all too glamourous for me, and I don't think my pokémon would enjoy it very much either. Especially Shinx, he's really a bit of a macho battling pokémon."

Merlin pressed his lips together.

"What?" Gwen questioned. "What is it?"

"Nothing," he answered, trying to contain himself. His eyes were trailing the blue pokémon across the park. "I'm just picturing him in a little wrestler's suit."

As if sensing he was being spoken about, the electric pokémon stopped in its tracks and looked up. It held eye contact with Merlin, giving of a few sparks as a warning before continuing with his game. Gwen chuckled, shaking her head at their antics.

"I swear, there's no way he could have heard that," Merlin said.

"Maybe he didn't have to. Anyway, do you think we can still get tickets for tonight? I can't believe I didn't realise it was today, it's almost like we planned it!"

Merlin shrugged. "I don't know, don't these things usually sell out weeks, if not months before?" Taking in Gwen's drooping shoulders he rushed to add, "but we can try! I'll even come with you, bragging rights with Will and all."

Gwen smiled regretfully. "No, you're right, we're probably too late. That's alright, we can still watch it on tv."

Eevee came bounding over, leaping right onto Gwen's lap. She was soon followed by the rest of their pokémon, who'd seemingly had enough playtime to last for now. "Alright, I think that's our sign to pack up."

Merlin stood up, coming over to help her clear up their picnic area. "Are we off to the Gym then?" he asked once they were done.

"Yes! We're all energised and trained up for this moment. I think we're ready!" Nidoran made a noise in agreement.

* * *

The second gym leader dealt mostly with grass types, and her gym was located in the middle of one of central London's bigger parks. The gym was built in a classic temple style, with marble columns encircled with vines and Greek statues surrounded by overgrown, blooming flower bushes. It was also surrounded by a beautifully kept rose garden, with a maze leading up to the entrance.

Merlin let Gwen lead the way, as she was the gym challenger here. She seemed a bit confused and hesitant at the beginning, but as they got further into the maze, she started to pick up the pace as if she knew where to go. A few minutes in, Merlin's phone started beeping at him.

"Sorry," he muttered out as he rummaged through his bag, intent on finding it before it got any louder.

He read his messages; they were from Will.

' _Where are you?'_

' _MErlin'_

' _R u ded?'_

Merlin frowned but typed a quick response. _'I'm actually in a maze right now so not exactly sure. London. Why?'_ He felt Aithusa tug at his hair, steering him towards the right. He looked up from his message, barely managing to avoid walking right into a shrubbery.

"Oh, thanks. You're actually being nice to me for once."

Another tug. "Never mind."

Then he realised. "Gwen? Where did you go?"

"Merlin? Where are you?" she called out from… somewhere.

He spun around in a circle, trying to get a sense of direction, but that could only have ever backfired on him. "Gwen? Gwen!"

"Merlin! Follow the path on your right before turning left at the snowdrops, then you need to make a U-turn around the Carnations. That's where I am right now."

Merlin blinked. Which side was he supposed to be facing for it to be his right side? "Which way? North?"

"No, the building is to the East of us!"

"OK," he murmered to himself. "Now… where is East? You know what, Gwen? Maybe you should just go ahead and finish this maze. I'll be fine!"

"Alright, but don't be late this time!" Rustling noises told him that she had indeed continued on.

Merlin sighed at his own misfortune. "I don't suppose you're planning on helping me out again, now are you?" Merlin asked Aithusa. She feigned sleep. Badly. "Right. That's what I thought."

He picked Festus' poké ball and released the Charmander. "Please, you are the only one who I can trust to help," he told him solemnly. "Do you know what snowdrops look like?"

Festus made a confused ' _char?'_ sound and wagged his tail.

Merlin grimaced "What about carnations?"

After sending of another friendly message to Will – _'thanks to you I'm actually lost inside the maze, literal steps away from the gym'_ – it had only taken Merlin another twenty minutes before he'd worked his way through the maze by pure chance. Not luck, chance.

Gwen had then explained to him that there was actually a logic puzzle involved, something to do with the flowers pointing the way, but Merlin still did not know enough about them to see the pattern.

Gwen made quick work of the second gym, only struggling once the gym leader sent out a Roserade. So far, the other two grass pokémon had both been weak to poison, but her Nidoran did no longer have an advantage against her new opponent. Tired from the previous battles, Nidoran didn't manage to evade the Roserade's Giga Drain on time. It fainted, drained of its energy.

Merlin grimaced as Gwen returned the Nidoran to her poké ball. She was in a bit of a tight spot, despite still having two pokémon left. Her Shinx was an electric type, and Merlin hadn't actually seen Eevee in a real battle before. He knew they'd been training every morning, though, he just hoped it would be enough.

The sound of a poké ball opening drew his attention, but it wasn't Gwen's. He looked around in confusion before spotting the Ralts. "Kay? How did you- what?"

Kay glanced over at him, chortled in delight before turning all his attention back to the fight. Merlin chuckled. Perhaps he could've expected this to happen. After all, Merlin already knew the Ralts had been sneaking off to watch Gwen train her pokémon. It seemed like Kay's second passion - after troublemaking – might be battling. Perhaps Merlin should try to accommodate him by participating in more fights.

Merlin considered his pokémon for a bit longer before turning back to Gwen's gym battle. She had sent out her Eevee first. Eevee was actually holding her own pretty well, mostly by trying to avoid getting hit. It seemed like the Roserade had been temporarily blinded by a sand attack, allowing Eevee to get a quick attack in.

Unfortunately, the Roserade knew Magical Leaf, allowing it to effortlessly hit Eevee. Gwen squeaked in surprise before hastily calling her Eevee back. It seemed she'd forgotten about that move. With slight hesitation, but having no alternative, she sent out Shinx.

The cat-like pokémon let out a shrill roar as it appeared in the arena.

"Roserade, use Giga Drain!"

Merlin tensed. If this move hit, it would likely negate all the damage done before by Gwen's Eevee. Thankfully, Roserade still seemed to be struggling with the sand and Shinx's quick reflexes kicked in. It leapt to the side, barely catching itself on its paws, but it did the trick. "Quick, Shinx, use thunder wave!"

The pokémon obeyed in an instant, sending out a shock wave of electricity at the opponent's Roselia. The pokémon shuddered – too paralyzed to retaliate.

Shinx roared in celebration, although it sounded more like a contented purr. Its body then started glowing, his white figure changing shape before their eyes. Black manes appeared around its head, its whole body grew larger and its tail longer. As the glow receded, the newly evolved Luxio was revealed. It roared again, the sound approaching in the region of being intimidating.

Merlin couldn't contain himself and started cheering, Aithusa and Kay joining in. The gym leader also cracked a smile. "Congratulations. Your first evolution, I presume? But beware, the fight isn't over yet. Not until I've won."

Gwen was beaming, but she took the warning for what it was and tried to refocus on continuing the battle. "Luxio, use bite!"

With the evolution, all of its moves had just gotten stronger as well and it was without too much trouble that Luxio and Gwen managed to defeat the Roserade. After all, it had already been paralyzed and half-blinded.

Merlin had just gotten up to applaud when a familiar voice sounded from beside him.

"So _that's_ the Gwen you've been telling me about? I'm impressed."

Merlin spun around, causing Authusa to lose her footing and fly up. "Will! Mate, what are you doing here? How did you- when?"

"Eloquent as always, Merls," his best friend snorted at him, before opening his arms for a hug.

Merlin poked him in his side before embracing him. Authusa landed on his shoulder, her wings stretching to enclose Will's head with them.

"What are you doing here?" Merlin asked again after they'd let go. "I haven't been away for that long, now have I?"

"Every moment is a moment too long when we're separated." Will tried to keep his face straight but gave up, cracking up only a second later.

Merlin rolled his eyes. "Why are we friends again?"

"So that you can introduce me to all your female friends, of course!" he said, referring to Gwen. Then he spotted Kay hovering beside Merlin and his face brightened even more if possible. "Is this the infamous Ralts who you chased all over Warwick?"

Merlin groaned. "Great, another pokémon for you to turn against me. Yes, this is Kay. Kay, this person is Will and you should never listen to anything he says, alright?"

Will pulled an innocent face. "I don't know what you're talking about. By the way, how did you even manage to get lost in that flower maze? It's easy! You just follow the blue daffodils until you get to Mums and then-"

"Since when do you know anything about flowers?" Merlin gaped at him.

Will shrugged, reaching for the back of his neck. "Not sure. Just happened. Anyway, I'm surprised you don't know more about flowers. Didn't Hunith use to teach you about them?"

"Those are herbs! Medicinal herbs for pokémon, specifically," Merlin defended.

"Why are we talking about herbs?" Gwen joined the conversation.

"We were actually discussing Merlin's lack of knowledge on flowers."

Gwen laughed in surprise. "Ah, that makes sense yes."

Will nodded mock-solemnly. "Tragic. Simply tragic that boy. Now Merlin, weren't you going to introduce me to this charming woman?"

He sighed but did as told. "Gwen, this is Will. Will, Gwen. Now, you never did explain what you were doing here. And why didn't you say you were coming?

"But I did! Just now, I texted you 'where are you', now if that's not a dead give-away I don't know what is."

"Clearly you don't know what is."

"Oi!"

Gwen smiled at their exchange.

Will smiled back charmingly before adding, "Oh, almost forgot. Gwen, congratulations on your second badge!"

"Yes! Congrats! That was a tough battle, but you did it! And Luxio evolving was just the cherry on top."

Gwen beamed at them. "Thank you! I was really starting to worry when she sent out Roserade but I'm so proud of my team. Let's go celebrate! Will, have you had a chance to see the city yet?"

"No, actually. I texted Merlin the moment I got here."

"Yes, and you _still_ haven't told us what you're doing here!"

"That's because you should already know!" Will exclaimed, fully exasperated. "I'm here for the annual Windsor contest, of course! I got the tickets a few months ago before they sold out."

"You did?" Gwen and Merlin exclaimed at the same time, though one in excitement and one in surprise.

"I did. What's more, being the amazing best friend I am, I managed to buy two more last-minute tickets for you to join me!"

"You did?" They echoed each other again.

* * *

They spend a few hours in the early afternoon walking around the biggest tourist attraction of London, _again_. Not that Merlin minded it much, it really was a beautiful city. If a little bit busy. And frantic. And busy.

After some lunch, they made their way to the Contest Hall. Once there, Will insisted on buying a new Lady Morgana poster from the shop. Gwen went with him to check out what was on offer. Which left Merlin hanging around awkwardly in the hall of the contest hall. For some reason he was expecting a stranger to randomly grill him on pokémon contests and discover that he wasn't a real fan. He was feeling a bit lost without Aithusa in his hair as well.

Any moment now he could be found out.

That he had somehow managed to infiltrate this event.

That he didn't belong here.

That- "Merlin?"

He jumped. He didn't realise his heartbeat was that elevated. Had it been like that before? "Arthur?"

Merlin tried to downplay his unexpected bout of nerves. "It is, um, nice to see you here. You look… dashing."

Arthur looked nonplussed at the compliment, though it was sure deserving. Unlike Merlin, Gwen and Will, he did seem to own at least one set of formal clothes. How he managed to travel around without his clothes wrinkling, without a backpack even, Merlin could only wonder.

"Thank you, Merlin. Er…" Arthur glanced around and then at the ground as he muttered. "You look quite nice as well, if maybe a bit frazzled?"

Arthur seemed hesitant to say something else, clearly unsure what to do now their conversation had started of strangely civil for once.

"So what brings you here?" Merlin blurted out.

Arthur blinked and drawled out his reply, "the Windsor Pokémon Contest."

"Right, of course." Merlin nodded emphatically. "Me too!"

"Right…" Arthur coughed into his fist.

Merlin shuffled his feet.

"I didn't know you liked pokémon contests," Arthur said.

"I could say the same about you."

"Touché."

They lapsed back into silence. Merlin wondered if Arthur was trying to leave, but just couldn't find a polite way to exit the conversation.

"Hey Arthur, our paths crossed again!"

Merlin's shoulders sagged in relief at Gwen's voice.

"Gwen, it's good to see you." Arthur smiled. His glance shifted to Will and raised an eyebrow at Merlin.

"Who's this then?"

Merlin went to introduce them when Will beat him to it. He brushed Merlin aside as he stepped up to Arthur. "I'm Will, nice to meet you. Merlin and I go way back."

Arthur sized him up. He extended his hand. "Arthur. Pleased to meet you."

Will shook it, a tight look on his face.

Gwen cleared her throat. "Hey, I think the doors have opened. We should find a place before all the good ones are taken."

"Right!" Merlin jumped in, grateful for the distraction. He didn't know what had gotten into Arthur today, but things were feeling strangely tense. "Arthur, do you already have someone to sit with? If not, you're welcome to join us."

"Oh. Actually-"

"Arthur! Brother dear, I'm glad you could make it tonight." A woman came walking out from behind a red curtain, her heels clacking on the tiled floors. She was easily one of the most beautiful people Merlin had ever seen, her hair and make-up done to perfection and her dress the perfect mix between elegant and classy.

Next to him, he could swear he physically felt Will have a heart attack. "Lady Morgana!" he pointed intelligently. She smirked.

"Then that makes you," Will spun around, pointing at Arthur. "Arthur _Pendragon?"_

Arthur nodded carefully, as if he were facing a wild animal that could be set of at any sudden movements.

Will spun around again, this time pointing an accusatory finger at Merlin. "You never mentioned the guy you met was a Pendragon!"

Merlin was confused. "I didn't think it mattered. It's not like he's royalty or something."

"But he might as well be! He's related to Lady Morgana, for goodness' sake! _The_ Lady Morgana! Who is also standing right there... hi." He waved at her.

Morgana let out a delighted laugh. "Hello, it's always good to meet a fan. Brother dear, you should have mentioned you were planning on bringing your friends!"

"Morgana," Arthur greeted. "We're not here together actually, we just ran into each other."

"Aw, don't be so rude, Artie. Let me see," Morgan regarded the three of them. "Your name is Gwen, isn't it? And you must be Merlin." Morgana's smile widened as she studied him head to toe, a predatory glint in her eyes.

"Yes, that's correct!" Gwen smiled at her. "It's so good to meet you, I look forward to seeing you perform tonight!"

Merlin nodded in agreement. "Nice to meet you."

Morgana returned the greeting before facing Will. "I'm sorry, I don't think Arthur has mentioned your name…"

"It's Will! _I'm_ Will. Big fan."

"Are you now? I'm flattered." Morgana smiled charmingly. "Now, I wish I could stay to chat, but I should really be getting ready for the show. Arthur, I'm sure you can show your guests to the box? I hope to catch up with you after the show."

And with that she left, her black hair swirling side to side as she sauntered off.

Will gaped after her, Gwen doing so as well but a bit more subtly.

Merlin turned to Arthur. "Didn't know you had a sister."

He let out a startled chuckle. "Because it's common knowledge. I know you're not from around here, but even your friend seems better informed about civilisation."

Merlin snorted, though he was glad they were back to their usual insults.

"So I guess that explains why you're here, to watch your sister?"

"Half-sister actually, and she blackmailed me into being here," Arthur corrected.

"She did?" Merlin asked intrigued. "Then she must have a lot of embarrassing stories about you." He grinned evilly.

Arthur's expression morphed into alarm.

Merlin was about to continue when Will snapped out of his daze, turned to Merlin and firmly grasped his shoulders. He shook him back and forth as he gushed, "I can't believe you didn't tell me you knew Lady Morgana's brother! Merlin, you know how crazy I am about her. You've _seen_ the posters above my bed. She's even more stunning in real life."

Arthur cleared his throat. "Please don't refer to me as Morgana's brother. If anything, she's _my_ sister."

"Yeah, right." Will snorted. "As if."

* * *

Arthur did end up leading them towards his private box. "Best seats in the house," he says.

There were two rows, conveniently with four seats in the front one. It was empty except for them.

"There's even space for our pokémon to watch as well!" Gwen enthused. "Arthur, this is amazing, thank you!"

Merlin nodded. "It is quite nice," he admitted.

As they released their pokémon, Merlin noticed a new addition to Arthur's team. Rufflet, Riolu, Ralts and now "You caught a Growlithe?"

"Congratulations, you're not blind."

Merlin rolled his eyes. "I'm just surprised you didn't continue the thing with the R's. Was that just unintentional?

Arthur frowned at him. "Whatever are you talking about, Merlin."

"No… no way." Merlin burst out laughing. "You didn't know?" he wheezed out. "All your pokémon so far started with the letter R. I thought it might have been an ego thing because you're R-thur"

Arthur's eyes widened. "What? That's absurd. They don't-" he trailed off, thinking about it. Realisation hit. "Huh."

Gwen, having overheard, burst out in giggles. "I hadn't realised that either until just now."

"Guys, quiet down!" Will complained. His Wingull made a noise of agreement. "The show's about to start!"

They settled down and took their seats, Merlin ended up seated in between Will and Arthur, Gwen on Will's other side.

They watched as a flamboyant presenter took the stage, thanking them all for coming and welcoming all the pokémon coordinators that would be competing today. They then went over the rules of the contest, which Merlin mostly tuned out.

He felt Arthur nudge him and he looked up into the other's blue eyes. "What did you end up naming your Ralts?" he asked, keeping his voice down for the other two, who were still enraptured by the show.

"Kay," Merlin said in the same hushed tone. "Why do you ask, looking for inspiration?"

Arthur shook his head. "No, just wondering."

They watched the coordinators parade onto the stage to get introduced to the audience one by one.

Merlin poked Arthur in the side and leant over to whisper. "Hey, you didn't mind Will gushing over your sister like that, did you? If it made you feel uncomfortable, I can tell him to tone it down a little. He's a good guy, really."

Arthur shrugged, his shoulder brushing up against Merlin's as he did so. "I don't particularly enjoy hearing about how hot my sister is, but I know Morgana and she definitely doesn't mind that kind of talk. In fact, she would probably tell me off for trying to 'defend her honour' or something."

Merlin laughed.

"No, really. She might seem friendly at first, but she's a real witch once you get to know her." Arthur shuddered.

"I'm sure she's perfectly nice. Look, there she is on stage."

Sure enough, Morgana was the last to step onto the stage, and the volume of the cheers increased significantly.

"So, is she like the reigning champion of pokémon contests or something?"

Arthur snorted, shaking his head fondly at Merlin's lack of knowledge. "Something like that, yes. She's a top coordinator and she won this contest last year. And the year before that."

"What about the year before that?"

"She wasn't competing then."

"Do you mean, she's entered twice and won twice?"

"Yeah. Of course, she'd already built up experience performing in smaller contests across Camelot."

"Wow. She must be really talented then."

"I suppose."

The watched as one by one the Pokémon Coordinators did their opening round act, a short showcase of what they had to offer. Merlin quickly noticed a trend of glitters and flashy lights, but he had to admit it was all quite beautiful.

No one had been eliminated yet in the second round, in order to give everyone enough chance to convince the audience and the jury. They each showed of a different pokémon's moveset this time.

The third round was a longer one, even though half of the coordinators had been eliminated at that point. The Coordinators were also allowed two pokémon now, meaning they had even more room for diversity in their move combinations. Seeing as most of them were flashy explosions of colour and in-your-face beautiful, Merlin was surprise when Morgana entered the stage with her Umbreon and Sableye. The entire room darkened until only the Umbreon's blue markings and the Sableye's gems were visible. Morgana's dress had changed in between rounds, it now matched Umbreon's patterns and her jewelleries had also been exchanged to resemble Sableye's.

Then they began their act. The darkness made the light of their moves stand out even more and all the while Morgana and her pokémon were moving, dancing around on stage as if they were one entity. One shared soul.

The audience watched, fully enchanted. There was a moment of silence as her act finished with a single beam of light going straight up from the stage, somehow managing to illuminate the entire room. A roaring round of applause rang out. Merlin shot up from his seat, almost synchronous with his friends.

"Wow," Merlin said afterwards. "That was actually incredible. I can see why she's the champion. And her choice of pokémon was interesting as well, as Sableye isn't typically seen as cute or beautiful."

"Yes, well. She's sometimes called the Queen of Darkness because of it. If you ask me, she's just doing it because she likes the title," Arthur said, but Merlin could hear the underlying pride in his voice.

* * *

After that killer performance, it really came as no surprise when Morgana won. There had definitely been some up and coming new talents in the competition, but Morgana's "Danse Macabre" had been given almost full marks by both jury and the audience. Merlin was glad though that there were some other award-ribbons as well, for the runner-up, the most surprising performance and the best newcomer.

At the end of it, it seemed like everyone had had a good time. It was already evening once they met up with Morgana again. She excused herself because she still had some people to find and thank, and VIP fans to meet, but she invited them all out for dinner later that night.

Which was how Merlin found himself sitting beside his friend, his best friend, at the same table as Arthur Pendragon and Lady Morgana who were apparently famous, in one of the fanciest restaurants in London. And even though he wasn't completely sure what to think of the fancy food, he supposed the company made up for it.

**Author's Note:**

> That's it, hope you liked it and please let me know if you spotted any mistakes or if you have any suggestions. I love hearing from you, so please keep the comments coming. Till next time!


End file.
